France Trip -- Bordeaux

Last month Matt and I had the opportunity to take a trip to France without the kids. A whole week, just us. Can you believe it? And in France? So many details had to work out just perfectly for us to go, it was such a miracle that it all fell into place. It was my first time leaving the kids for more than one night, and our first real getaway since Jonathan was born. It seems so surreal that it actually happened! But it did and it was incredible. Huge thanks to Matt's parents and sister who came to watch the boys while we were away. Did I hit the in-law jackpot or what?

Our time was short since Matt was only able to take 7 days of leave. The reason for this trip was to visit his brother, sister in law, and their 4 children, who are currently living in Bordeaux. They lived in Japan before this so we have hardly seen them in the past few years. Two of the days were spent flying, and one of the days was largely spent driving from Paris to Bordeaux since all of the trains were on strike the day we landed. We spent two days with family, then took the train back for two whirlwind days together in Paris.

Between the flights, delays, and jet lag we were totally exhausted, but the drive turned out to be a hidden gem of the trip. Driving from Bordeaux to Paris gave us the opportunity to get a feel for the French countryside and small, rural towns, then there was our actual visit to Bordeaux which is a beautiful, historic port city. We experienced a touch of real, everyday French life (Brian and Christine live in a suburb not far from the city center) and we played the tourist game in Paris. All in a week! The main highlight of that first day's drive was a quick stop at Chateau de Chenonceau--a sight I would recommend to anyone visiting the Loire Valley.

At Chenonceau 

Our first full day in Bordeaux was spent wandering the city streets. We ducked into an old bookshop, a cheese shop, clothing boutiques, mustard shop, oil and vinegar shop. Matt's brother, Brian, is well versed in the history of Bordeaux and was a great tour guide, sharing interesting facts with us as we oohed and ahhed over the architecture, old buildings, churches, and cathedral. And the food. Oh my word. We ate out for lunch in the city on both days and to spare you from my gushing, lets just say that real French food is all its cracked up to be. Simple ingredients cooked to absolute perfection, and lets not skimp on the butter, ok?

On day two we drove through beautiful countryside (winding roads, vineyards, windmills, ancient looking stone barns, charming cottages . . . the real deal) to get to a castle that dates back to medieval times. This was one of the crumbling kind where you get to explore, touch everything, and have all the "What have these walls seen? How many people have walked up these steps?" kind of thoughts. It was magical. Luckily enough, the town was also hosting an antique market that morning. The perfect way to end our morning before heading back into Bordeaux for lunch, i.e., as much mouthwateringly delicious buttery steak and french fries as we could eat. And a salad, of course.

Above all we were grateful to have some time to spend with Brian and Christine and their cute kiddos. We played with the kids, Matt and Brian had the chance to catch up after years on different sides of the globe, wandered around the grocery store to buy local ingredients for a picnic dinner, enjoyed their local bakery and Christine's amazing cooking. They were such gracious hosts. Thanks for living in such an incredible place guys!

(Stay tuned for Paris!)